adventures of mascarah.

Where to Eat in the East Village

I love to eat. This is part of an ongoing series I have going where I’m sharing my favorite eats in different neighborhoods and cities. So far I’ve covered the LES, West Village, Soho & Nolita and Chelsea & the Flatiron District. This week I’m tackling my East Village favs. Next week is TriBeCa.

Cheap Eats:

• Artichoke Pizza: Get the namesake slice (or 2) and pop a squat on the curb. Delicious is an understatement.
• Caracas Arepa Bar: Have you ever eaten an arepa? So yummy. I can’t leave without eating at least 2. I recommend giving this place a shot.  It’s much better than any cornbread you’ve ever had.
• Dok Suni’s: My favorite Korean pork ribs not in Koreatown. Yummy!
• Nicky’s Vietnamese: I’m sure I put this in the LES listing too, but it deserves to be listed twice. Get the signature sandwich or the double pork chop. The best dang $8 you’ll spend that week. Guaranteed.
• Mudspot: The Mudtruck serves up some yummy bites and some of the best coffee in the city (second in my opinion to Stumptown)
• Porchetta: Yummy porchetta sandwiches at an affordable price. Bonus points for delivery.
• S’mac: Mac n’ Cheese. Nuff said.
• Black Iron Burger Shop: Hands down my favorite place for a late night eat in the city. Burgers + wings + beers. Yummy.
• Crif Dogs: Get a couple of chang dogs and take them over to the park for a delicious (and super filling) meal. I recommend pairing them with vino from home in a sippy cup.
• Liquiteria: Yummy fresh veggie juice. Perfect for a healthy liquid lunch.
• Pomme Frites: So many sauces….a dream for a french fry addict.
• Ippudo: Ramen HEAVEN. And buy 1 get 1 beers at the bar while you wait for happy hour (and you will wait…)
• Snack Dragon: Yummy tacos that are a great on-the-go snack.

Solid Bets:

• DBGB: Daniel Boulud’s burger joint with handmade sausages and killer burgers including the Piggie which is $19 and includes jalapenos and pulled pork. Delicious.  
• Pulino’s: McNally’s new pizza joint that sits diagonal across from DGBG. A bit of an Otto knock off, but still delicious.
• Mercadito: Go on Monday or Tuesday for all you can eat tacos and strong (but overpriced $10!!) margaritas.
• The Mermaid Inn: One of my favorite restaurants in the city. So damn good. Lobster sandwich + Bluepoint lager + Old Bay Fries = orgasmic. Bonus points for a cheap wine list and a fantastic raw selection.
• Jewel Bako: Definitely some of the best sushi downtown. Yummy. Tiny. Packed. Go early or late.
• Jack’s Luxury Oyster Bar: Same owners as Jewel Bako, same tiny environment. Yummy oysters and seafood, horrible wine list. Definitely BYOB and pay the corking fee here.
• Momofuku Noodle & Ssam: Momofuku is basically synonymous with East Village at this point. All of Chang’s places are delicious. You simply can’t live or eat in the EV without visiting one or all of them. Love the Bakery too.
• The Redhead: An awesome place if you’re a fan of southern food. Love the buttermilk fried chicken and the shrimp n’ grits.
• Counter & Caravan of Dreams: veggie lover heaven. I prefer the former to the latter, although I know plenty of people who disagree.
• Butter: OMFG. XOXO. This place is so played out but still manages to garner a celeb crowd. This is where you take your friend who thinks NYC really is like Sex and the City.
• Double Crown: Love the global inspired menu here. Really random, but pretty tasty.

Best Brunch:

• Paprika: $11ish gets you a drink, a coffee, and this amazing egg and tomato and basil pile of deliciousness (or another awesome dish).
• Gemma: Go for brunch and eat outside. Or go for a drink and then make your way into the Bowery Hotel bar. Dinner is disorganized, there’s always a wait and the crowd is more douchey than not.
• Sunburnt Cow: One of the booziest brunches in the city with hot aussies running around. In a single word? Awesome.
• Back Forty: love the slow food style of this restaurant. I can’t point to one thing on the menu I die over (maybe the grass-fed burger?) but everything is delicious. Make sure you order the sugared donuts for dessert.
• Esperanto: A bit nuts at night (although sometimes they have live music that’s amazing) but a great place for a delicious somewhat traditional brazillian meal. I like to go for brunch & sit outside.
• Permanent Brunch: A bit hokey…but when you have that pancake and bacon craving…
• Cafe Pick Me Up: Not exactly a brunch place but love the pastries and coffee and teas at this place. It’s a great place to curl up with a book or a friend.
• The Smith: I love everything on their menu. EVERYTHING.
• 7a: Cheap + delicious + this great side salad with the most amazing carrot dressing..
• Westville East: There’s a reason why there’s that line around the block…

Vino y Mas:

• Bar Veloce:  a cozy little panini and winebar joint. Great for a quick drink or a late night glass of vino and snack.
• Degustation: Get the tasting menu and some vino with a group of friends (or a double date) and this will be one of your favorite group meals ever.
• Desnuda: Wine + ceviche in a cozy, teeny tiny romantic den. A great second date place.
• In Vino: tapas and wine in a warm, cozy cave like environment.

Italian Overload:

• Luzzo’s: My favorite Naples style pizza in NYC. Simply fantastic (with a hot Italian crowd as an added plus!)
• Cacio e Pepe: Affordable yummy pasta from a neighborhood Italian staple.
• Lil Frankie’s Pizza: On a fantastic 1st avenue stretch, a great place to share a pie outside in the summer. Annoyingly cash only.
• Supper: Some of the best pasta in the EV in a cozy, warm atmosphere. Love the pasta specials and lasagna night.
• Frank and Max: Neighborhood favorites. Pretty good italian in unassuming environments. Cash only like Supper their other restaurant. Honestly, besides specials and subtleties, isn’t much of a difference between any of their restaurants.

Pricey but Yummy:

• BONDST: Some of my favorite posh sceney sushi in the city. This is borderline EV but we’ll include it because it is pretty tasty. Bonus points for the Seabass skewers, available only downstairs. Mary’s favorite dish, ever.
• Hearth: Seasonal food (always have delicious lamb) in a warm, cozy environment with a strong and highly sustainable wine list. One of those places you should go at least once with a date.
• Momofuku Ko: The most expensive Momo but arguably the best. The reservations system is like a game of roulette but keep trying because eating here is worth the effort.
• Pylos: Overpriced for Greek but really love the atmosphere and the food ain’t too bad.

As always would love to know your changes, additions, etc so feel free to leave a comment or response to this post. Cheers!